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LOUISBURG -- The second primary provided a reversal of fortune for two candidates who received the highest number of votes the first go around.
Meanwhile, District 7 School Board member Paige Sayles received the most countywide votes in May and on Tuesday night.
"I am gratified by the trust the public has placed in me," Sayles said.

RALEIGH -- A superior court judge denied a motion that could have re-instated the county's former clerk of court, as well as a motion that could have allowed her to appear on the ballot this fall.
Unless a court of appeals rules by August, Patricia Burnette Chastain's name would not appear on the ballot for November's general election.

As part of Franklin County's "State of the District" to the Board of Commissioners, we emphasized the importance of community partnerships.
We are grateful for the role that non-profits, churches, and businesses play in supporting the work of our schools.
The scope of these partnerships is broad, and includes volunteer work, backpack buddies to offer food to struggling families, and other efforts to support the learning and well-being of students in this community.

YOUNGSVILLE -- For officer Ladrevion Richardson, raising awareness about autism was personal ... and professional.
Each officer, upon completing the department's field training, is asked to identify a problem or issue in town and figure out a way to address it.
During the board's July 14 meeting, Richardson acknowledged it started out as a work assignment, but it quickly hit home.

FRANKLINTON -- Two local farmers saw their vision come to fruition last weekend when their farmers market opened downtown.
Crystal Hobby and Joni McPhetridge, who operate the Family Bee'sness' Farm and McPhetridge Family Farms, respectively, have combined forces to open a downtown Farmers Market under The Local Fix LLC.

LHS spike legend Patricia Menze

Here we are, about to slip into August where the heat, humidity and frequent thunderstorms are to be expected.
But if you're a long-time news reporter, you also realize it's one of those times when local government goes into the doldrums -- and when you'd better keep both eyes open because you never quite know what might slip by -- or when!

One of my favorite life-affirming quotes comes from an early 2000s TV show about a kid on his path to becoming superman.
Strangely, it's not uttered by the title character. Instead, it involves his parents.
Martha is telling her son about the first time she met his dad, Jonathan Kent, revealing that she asked him for some class notes and Jonathan just handed over his entire notebook, no questions asked.

Dear editor:
As the American citizens deal with rising inflation and gas prices, maybe we should look at how other countries are having to deal with these problems.
In Sri Lanka, for instance, the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last April implemented a sudden ban on chemical fertilizers. This push to organic fertilizer is blamed for the worst ever food crisis this country has ever experienced. At the time of this ban only 3% of the farmland was farmed without chemicals.

LOUISBURG, NC -- Michael Lee Wheeler, 49, of Louisburg passed away on July 20, 2022. Michael was born on October 5, 1972 the son of Gwendolyn Finch Wheeler and the late Michael Loring "Mitchell" Wheeler. In addition to his father, Michael was predeceased by his brother, Michael Roy Varner.

BUNN -- Due to injuries, the Bunn Ladycats dug deep into their roster during the 2022 season as several youngsters were forced into important playing time early in their careers.
Despite the adversity, the Ladycats were strong in the competitive Big East Conference, going 12-6 overall and 10-4 in the league while qualifying for the Class 2-A State Playoffs.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Another oversized dose of heroics appears to be in order when the Big East Conference begins what should be an ultra-competitive boys and girls cross country season on September 7.
There will be six regular season matches ahead of the annual Big East Conference Championships, slated for October 19 with Northern Nash High School hosted at its home course on the campus of Red Oak Middle School.

FRANKLINTON -- Franklinton will look to make an upward push in the Big East Conference girls tennis standings this season under veteran head coach Dale Byrns.
The Lady Rams went 4-6 last fall, which was good enough for fifth place in the always-strong Big East. Three of Franklinton's losses came in close fashion in the team scoring system. FHS returns a trio of standouts -- seniors Emma Holloman and Taylor Williams and sophomore Charlize Green.

ZEBULON -- Jeferson Quero, Hedbert Perez and Jesus Chirinos each drove in runs with a single, triple and home run respectively to fuel a six-run fifth inning as the Carolina Mudcats earned a 7-3 series-clinching baseball victory versus the Down East Wood Ducks on Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.
The Mudcats (11-13, 45-45) took two of three in the series against the Wood Ducks (13-10, 46-43) and finished the year 13-11 overall versus Down East.

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- Much has changed about the East-West All-Star Football Game through the years, but one constant remains.
It's still an honor to participate, whether it be as a player and a coach -- something current Southern Nash football skipper Brian Batchelor has seen from both sides.
Rare are the people who have been able to take part in the annual event from both perspectives, but that's exactly what Batchelor has been able to accomplish.

These five youngsters show that learning can be fun, especially when such diverse courses and experiences are made available to them. Shown here (left to right) are Cayden Shaw, Anthony Buitrago, Simon Rivero, Shawn Mcdowell and Cameron Jenkins.

HEAT CHECK. Franklin County Parks and Recreation hosted a Beat the Heat event last week at Owens Park, as part of its efforts to celebrate Parks and Recreation month. Above, Recreation Program Coordinator Brett Garrett provides Ben Stover with a frozen treat while his mother, Nancy Stover, looks on.

HEAT CHECK. Franklin County Parks and Recreation hosted a Beat the Heat event last week at Owens Park, as part of its efforts to celebrate Parks and Recreation month. Above, the Garcias, Valeria, Gael and Orlando, enjoy popcorn and a cold treat during the event.

BUNN -- A Zebulon woman was killed in a single-vehicle wreck over the weekend.
According to the State Highway Patrol, Sharon Rogers, 54, was driving north on Williams-White Road -- about four miles south of Bunn -- when she ran off the road to the right just after 5 p.m. on July 23.

ROCKY MOUNT -- The State Division of Motor Vehicles has introduced a speedier check-in process.
Q-Anywhere allows customers at driver license offices to check in by scanning a QR code and texting a short message to get and hold their place in line.
Customers are then free to queue anywhere - they can wait their turn in their vehicle, or they can run other errands in the immediate area while they pass the time. Customers are alerted via text to enter the lobby when staff is ready to serve them.